When Worlds Collide
by LilUmiDragon
Summary: I’m sure most of you have heard that there is actually a fifth region in the center of the other four.This region is guarded by the yellow dragon and has six constellations surrounding it.This is my version of what happened to the yellow dragon.
1. Prologue

Hey everyone! Like I said before, I started writing this story five years ago...and just now decided to pick it back up. I rewrote the first few chapters. This is the prologue just to give you and idea of what is going on. I'm sure most of you have heard that there is actually a fifth region in the center of the other four. This region is guarded by the yellow dragon and has six constellations surrounding it. This is my explanation of why there wasn't a fifth god in the anime.  Please RXR and if you don't like please tell me what you think I can do to improve!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Fushigi Yuugi Characters. I also add that some concepts for this story were inspired by the anime, Ceres which I do not own either.

NOTES: The prologue is set entirely before the anime. The rest of the chapters will be written after the anime.

(2 centuries before the first priestess was ever summoned to the book)

As the sky turned from gray to black, the calm drizzle that had been slightly annoying before changed to a steady drumming. The sky was filled with lightening, while echoes of thunder shook the ground. Tasuki cursed under his breath. It had been raining like this all damn day. He wondered; did Tenkyoku know what was going to happen? Perhaps even worse…did she know? Tasuki shook his head to clear his mind of such thoughts. He could feel the rain seeping through to his bones now. Looking around the encampment, he grunted. As if the rain could purge this night of its sins.

Hotohori, Mistukake, Chidiko, Chichiri, Nuriko, and Tamahome. They were all there suffering from the rain together with the same purpose and the same heavy hearts. There were no words that could prepare them for the task that lay at hand and so they sat in silence…knowing and waiting.

Then came the signal; beating drums pounded into their heads. Tasuki no sooner got on his feet than the mist encased them. Hours seemed to pass when he knew it to only be seconds, and then there it was, the palace of Tenkyoku, the yellow dragon. Many times had he stood in that same spot waiting permission to enter through the gates and every time an odd sense of calmness had fallen over him that he had never felt anywhere else. Today, they would not wait for permission and the sense of calm was no more. Bodies of the beast gods' soldiers filled the courtyard. There had been a battle here recently and the smell of freshly spilt blood saturated the air. As the corpses became more numerous the closer they got to the palace, Tasuki found himself wishing for the calmness he knew would not come. Normally, battles didn't bother the lone wolf; they even thrilled him to a point, but this was wrong and he felt it to his core.

Slowly the palace doors swung open before them to reveal the moment they had been dreading. There she stood, poised in attack position, her slender hands wrapped around her nodachi, stained with blood. She did not blink but still Tasuki saw it, a slight shift in her balance, a stiffening of her upper body. She had not predicted this night of bloodshed and she definitely had not suspected them. He could feel the pain of the betrayal she hid behind a mask of determination and it burned into his soul. He could take the silence no more and he stepped forward to speak to the unwavering creature before them. Suddenly, Suzaku appeared before them stopping Tasuki in his tracks.

A moment passed before he once again decided to speak, but before he could the creature's voice resonated in the hall. "Suzaku, what is the meaning of this?" She demanded, her stance never changing.

Suzaku looked at the woman expressionlessly then sadly as he spoke. "I am here to banish Tenkyoku. It is the only way to preserve this world as we know it." He moved to go around her but she stopped him with a swing of her nodachi. "I do not wish to harm you, Taishi." He warned.

Fiery eyes met alike fiery eyes and she straightened from her stance as she looked down. "You are wrong, my brother. It did not have to be this way." Quickly, she attacked Suzaku, fire springing from her fingertips and on to her nodachi. Just as quickly, Suzaku used a counter spell that threw her back into arms ready to catch her.

The battle began and ended so quickly that Tasuki saw her standing one minute and the next laying dazed in Tenkyoku's arms. When Tenkyoku had entered Tasuki did not know, but he did know that the day was close to an end one way or another and either way would bring disaster. He watched as Tenkyoku worryingly looked down at the young woman in his arms. Tasuki felt his face grow hot as he watched the scene before him. So the rumors were true, the yellow dragon had fallen in love with the fiery warrior phoenix. He clenched his fists and looked away. He wasn't going to allow his emotions to get the best of him.

As soon as the young woman was able to stand, Tenkyoku turned his attention to Suzaku. "I knew this moment would one day come, but I never would have predicted you would side with them."

"The other gods have sent me to banish you, Tenkyoku, and to destroy your celestial warrior, Taishi, in order to prove where my loyalties lye. However, my loyalties still belong to you." Suzaku finished his speech and ended with his knees bent down in front of Tenkyoku, a sight not often seen.

There was silence as Tenkyoku considered the kneeled phoenix before him, but Taishi quickly stepped in between the two. "He lies! He claimed banishment was the only way to save this world. He tries to trick you my lord."

"Is this true Suzaku?" Tenkyoku demanded.

Suzaku slowly stood, his eyes never wavering. "Neither you nor I are strong enough to defeat the other three gods at this point in time. To go up against them would mean devastation for the land. It is true, I must banish you, but I will not destroy Taishi. It is my plan to send her to the spirit world to be born again when the time for your re-awakening is at hand." He looked down. "I know this does not seem like the best solution, but it is the only way. I have thought on this long."

"You are sure of this plan?" Doubt was clear in the yellow dragon's voice. A nod was his only reply and a moment passed before he shook his head in agreement. "Very well, I place the future in your hands, but know that this marks the end of an era. There shall be a clear line between heaven and earth, immortal and mortal. From this moment on all celestial warriors shall be mortal and will die painful deaths only to be reborn and die again. The gods shall be restricted to heaven to wait a summoning by a priestess from another world in times of need. Know this is the fate you have brought upon yourselves." His gaze past upon them all and ended on Taishi. He smiled and gently brushed his hand against her cheek. "Until we meet again my brave phoenix." His whispered words echoed through her mind and she watched as he slowly faded back into the mist of the mountain.

So it was over now. They had just witnessed the end of an era. An era they had helped end. So why didn't he feel different? In fact, he felt nothing. Tasuki looked towards his comrades. Hotohori, Nuriko, and Chichiri hung their heads in prayer. Mistukake attempted to comfort an emotional Chidiko and Tamahome was…looking straight at him? He knew at times he could be paranoid, but there was no mistaking his friend's stare. Tamahome's gaze shifted towards Taishi and then quickly back to Tasuki. He followed his friend's gaze and understood. In her eyes he saw the emptiness he felt. How he wanted to go to her. Just to grab her up in his arms and hold her. But Tasuki would do no such thing, for he feared he would not receive the welcome for which he hoped. Tasuki cursed at himself. The only woman he had ever understood or cared for and he couldn't even summon enough courage to comfort her.

Suzaku placed a gentle hand on Taishi's shoulder. "Taishi, when you are reborn you understand that…" Taishi spun to face him.

"I know what it means!" Anger spurred her words. "And I know what I must do."

Tasuki froze when he saw her come towards him. There was a hint of a smile on her lips as she stood before him, but for Tasuki, the emptiness she still held in her eyes overshadowed all her features. She stretched out her hands towards him and he watched in astonishment as fire burst forth from her palms and slowly vanished to reveal a metal fan. "You befriended me when others could not. I'm grateful for that…and so, this is my gift to you."

Tasuki slowly reached out and touched the hilt of the fan. It felt cool to his touch so he grabbed it firmly in his hand and found himself struggling for breath as fire shot through his arm and began to course through his veins. He looked at Taishi confused, 'What had she done?' But he relaxed as the burning slowly faded to warmth. A warmth that was new and strange to him.

"That fan is made from a part of me that cannot leave this world. I chose that form because it can aid you greatly in battle. It is apart of you now. No matter how many lives you may lead; you will be drawn to it and it shall seek you."

She slowly stepped away from him and looked over at Suzaku. He nodded quickly and she turned back towards Tasuki, a sad smile on her face. "Keep it safe, Tasuki." With those words fire erupted from the floor around her and the Suzaku warriors watched in horror as the flames consumed her. Suddenly a phoenix flew out from the flames and past the warriors heading towards the clearing sky.

Tasuki watched from the doorway as it vanished into the deep red sunset. He looked down at the fan he still grasped tightly in his hand. At least one good thing had come from this day. He was mortal now, which meant someday he would die and this agonizing love would die with him.

Well what did you think? This is just telling you what happened to Tenkyoku in the past. The rest of this story will be about his return. Hope you liked…again let me know what you think!


	2. CH1: An Unexpected Trip

Hey everyone! Just wanted to send out a thank you to Fiction101 for reviewing my story. It is greatly appreciated! This chapter starts after the third OAV. Thoughts will be _italicized _and separated by ' ' marks. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Fushigi Yuugi Characters. I also add that some concepts for this story were inspired by the anime, Ceres, which I do not own either.

Ch. 1: An unexpected trip

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Keisuke smiled as he watched the last of his team file out of the locker room, still celebrating their latest victory. He was proud of his team, not only had they finished the season with a bang, but also the win had secured their spot at regionals. Taka and Keisuke had been coaching the team for about four years now and they had finally assembled a great team along with a fare amount of patrons. In fact the stands had been packed more than ever. Keisuke scanned the bleachers of people who still lingered talking amongst themselves. He noticed there was one special fan missing tonight.

He quickly whipped out his cell phone and dialed. Patiently, he listened for a voice on the other end and absentmindedly nodded his head when someone passing by congratulated him. No answer. He wondered where she could be; then it hit him.

Keisuke crossed the court to where Taka was talking to the refs. "I think I'm going to cut-out of here. Need me for anything?"

Taka shook his head and smiled. "Going to celebrate with Mitsukai?"

"If I find her." Laughed Keisuke. "Give a kiss to Hikari from her favorite uncle for me!" He was out the door before Taka could respond.

Quickly, Keisuke jogged up the stairs and through the front doors of the college library. Scanning the lobby, he made his way towards the study section on the first floor. "Hmm, I know she's here somewhere." Keisuke said determined. A few floors and study sections later he found her. Smiling, he approached her curled up form on one of the sofas. She looked so peaceful asleep. Slowly he knelt down in front of her and smoothly swept a lock of brown curl from her face. _'What a retard',_ he thought, _'falling asleep at the library'_. "Hey Mitsukai, wake up." He whispered as he gently shook her shoulders.

The girl slowly opened her eyes to reveal oceans of blue that Keisuke knew he had drowned in more than once. "Hey." She said somewhat groggily. She stretched as she looked around and it dawned on her where she was. Abruptly she sat up, panic on her face. "What time is it!?"

Keisuke looked down at his watch. "Ummm, it's a little after eleven."

"What!? I missed the game! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. How did you guys do?"

He laughed at her rambling. "It's ok, don't worry about it. And we won, which means we are going to the championships this year!"

"That's great!" Mitsukai hugged Keisuke tightly. She knew how long he had been waiting for this. "I'm so happy for you and Taka. You've both worked so hard."

"Yeah, well there's still a lot of work to do before regionals, but right now I just want to celebrate. So get your books packed and let's get out of here."

"Oh, I'm sorry Keisuke…I wish I could go but I still have a lot to write on my report." She looked at him apologetically and placed her hand on his arm. "How about a rain check for tomorrow? I'll cook your favorite dinner."

"I like the sound of that." He smiled and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "Good luck and sweet dreams."

"Thanks!" She said as she threw her books into her bag and waved goodbye.

One more flight of stairs and she would be home. Yes, just one more and she could finally relax. Who was she trying to fool? One more flight of stairs and it would be back to her research paper. Mitsukai slowed her pace as she climbed the last step and walked down the empty corridor to her apartment. She was so exhausted it took all her efforts to get the key in and turn the knob. Flicking the light switch, she looked around the living room. It wasn't much and it certainly couldn't compare to her dream home, but it was just right for a girl studying her way through med. school. She headed down the hallway to her room where she dumped the contents of her bag onto the bed. Glancing down she noticed an unfamiliar book. She picked it up and examined it. The cover was red with tattered edges and the pages were yellowed with age. _'It's hard to tell how old this book is.' _She mused to herself as she flipped to the first page. _'Great my Chinese isn't the best lets see…Universe of the Four Gods, hmm, sounds like one of Keisuke's books. Must be from the library. I'll have to remember to take it back tomorrow.' _Flipping several more pages she started to read. "This is a story about a world torn by war; filled with betrayal and love. This is a story to end all stories. It begins as the first page is turned. Whosoever follows all the way through shall decide the fate of eternity." Mitsukai stared attentively at the page before setting the book back down on the bed. _'What an odd way to start a book.' _She thought as she sat down in front of the harsh glare of her computer screen. She would have to read more, but first came her paper.

A few hours later and with the rhythmic clicking of her fingers on the keyboard, Mitsukai could feel her eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. Thankfully though she was finished and the only thing left was to email it to her professor. She glanced over at her clock. It was 1:55. She had finished with five minutes sparing. Mitsukai let out a breath of relief. There was nothing like procrastination.

With the email sent Mitsukai looked longingly at her bed. She could just sweep everything onto the floor and be asleep in five seconds, but something tugged at her. She picked up the unfamiliar book once again and turned to the first page. She could feel her heart pounding as she read the words over again. _'Calm down'_ she thought. _It's only a book.' _Keisuke would laugh if he could see her like this. She was supposed to be the logical one after all. Just the thought of a grown woman afraid of a book would make anyone laugh. But still, why did she have a feeling of apprehension and dread? She should just put the book down. No, she had to read it; even if just to prove it was nothing more than an ordinary book. Quickly she turned the page. A loud shriek rang through her ears and Mitsukai dropped the book. Her heart was racing now. The whole room was filled with a bright red light that appeared to be emanating from the book. Frozen with fear, Mitsukai could see nothing but red. Another loud shriek and red turned to black.

Slowly, the pounding faded from her eyes and she opened them only to find herself looking up at the sky. She looked around at the rest of her surroundings. It appeared to be a small community on the edge of a forest. A fog hung in her mind. She had walked home from the library. She had made it home right? Mitsukai stood up and a wave of nausea hit her and she swayed trying desperately to keep her balance. What had happened to her? Suddenly, three men came out of the shadows and started coming towards her.

"Can we help you miss? You look like a lost traveler to me." Said the first guy.

"Do you need a place to stay?" The second one added.

"We'd hate to see you have to spend tonight alone." The third guys smirked.

Mitsukai felt her knees wanting to give but she stood her ground. "Thank you, but I can find my own way." She moved to go around the three but they quickly blocked her path.

"When I say you've had enough; it means you've had enough!"

Tasuki grunted as he was less than gently escorted out the door. He turned around and waved at the guy that had just spoken. "Hey, I'll see ya tomorrow night buddy!" He laughed as we walked on down the street. It was a new record; kicked out of three bars in one night. Just another reminder of how boring life had become.

Suddenly a scream split through the night and interrupted his thoughts. Something about that scream seemed familiar. It couldn't be Miaka could it? He could barely make out four figures up ahead. It started to rain as he approached and now he could definitely make out three guys and a girl.

"C'mon, you don't expect us to leave a pretty thing like you out here all alone now do you?" One of the men said taking a step closer to her.

"I said stay away from me or I'll scream again!"

One of the other men laughed. No one here would dare challenge us even if they did hear you scream." They all laughed at this comment and began pressing in on the girl once again.

Tasuki had seen enough. He pulled the large fan he wore on his back out and smirked. This could be the fight he had been looking for all day. He felt the mark on his arm start to burn with energy and it drowned out the alcohol he had been hammering into his system. He watched as one of the men moved in and placed his hand on the girls shoulder. Tasuki took that as his cue and he quickly swung the fan out in front of him as he called out, "Lekka SHINEN!" Fire swept through the night rain and sent the man back into a tree. He slumped over, unconscious from the blow and still smoking from the fire.

The other two men turned to face their adversary. "You're dead now!" the larger and obviously less intelligent of the two stated as he charged forward.

"Wait!" The thin one held out his hand to stop his companion. "I recognize you." He pointed at Tasuki. "You're a bandit of Mt. Reikaku. This isn't your territory. You have no business with this girl."

"The lady obviously doesn't want anything to do with you guys. So that makes it my business." Tasuki said with a cocky smile.

The larger man let out a low growl as he rushed forward. Tasuki easily dodged him and sent him to the grown with a blow from his heavy iron fan. The thin man ran in with his fists swinging. 'Hell, this is hardly a workout.' Tasuki thought to himself as he blocked the guy's punches. He soon grew bored with the thin man's efforts and threw in a punch that sent the guy flying. Tasuki no sooner turned around when the large man tackled him to the ground. Tasuki struggled to get out from under the large man but his weight was crushing and Tasuki could hardly breathe. The large man brought out a knife and brought it to Tasuki's neck.

The large man laughed. "You thought you could crowd in on our territory. I'm going to enjoy killing you; nice and slow."

Tasuki felt his neck start to burn as the knife gradually sliced through his flesh. _'Dammit!'_ he thought. There was no way someone this stupid was going to kill him. He touched the fan that was pressed against his chest. If he used it now it would burn him too, but it was the only way. Rage and fury accompanied his scream, "LEKKA SHINEN!!" The large men fell backwards, scorching.

Tasuki tried to breathe in deeply but pain from the burn on his chest prevented him from doing so. He groaned as he slowly pulled himself up and touched the cut on his neck. He looked at the blood on his hand. The cut was deep, but nothing that would kill him.

A soft gasp behind him alerted him to the presence of the girl. He turned around, peering at her through the rain. Despite the dim light he knew one thing. She was not Miaka at all, nor did she even look like her. Long brown hair fell in curls, limp from the rain, around her face. Wide, large deep blue eyes blinked at him with fear and gratitude.

He stared at her awkwardly, not sure what to say. "Um, are you okay?" Dammit, he hoped that didn't make her cry. He hated it when woman cried.

Mitsukai could only stare at her protector. She couldn't hold on to consciousness any longer. She felt herself swaying and she reached out for him. Tasuki grabbed her before she could hit the ground.

He looked down at her limp body. 'She might not look like Miaka, but those clothes.' A cold chill ran through his body. This didn't look good, but first things first. He had to get her out of the rain and there was only one place to go.

So what did you think? I'm not sure if I'm moving to quickly, but I just really wanted to get Mitsukai into the book. Please review and give me comments or constructive criticism. Thanks!


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